Rail joint



C. A. DISBROW.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATYON FILED JUNE 3. i922.

1,429,935, Patented Sept. 26, 1922.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fiiarifi o row); Mrwsssssa I K 3 c.- A. DISBROW.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. I922.

1,%29,935 Patented Sept. 25, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z- C. A. DISBROW.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-3, 1922.

1,429,935 @atentedfiept. 26, 1922,

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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Patented Sept. 26, 1922.,

@NYEEE STATEi 1 1,429,935 stem oFFicE.

CLARKSON A. DISBROW, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A. CORPORATION OF NEW YOB RAIL JOINT.

\ Application filed June a,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARKsoN A. DIS- nnow, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rail joints, and has for its primary object a novel construction providing increased flexibility in the joint'bar, enabling it better to accommodate itself to the wave motion in the rail and easing the central portion of the joint bars from bending and shearing strains.

In the usual type of joint bar, which is of the same vertical height as that of the fishing spaces of the rails, the joint bars fit the rails throughout the entire length of the joint. In such a construction the bending and shearing strains are localized or concentrated at the center of the bar. That is due to the fact that as the wavemotion of the rail approaches the joint, the rail is kept from yielding because of the joint bar, and the joint bar is held from yielding by the rail until the center of the joint is reached.

Consequently, in the usual rail joint in which the joint bar fits the rail joint fishing for the entire length, practically all of the bending due to approaching wheel loads takes place at the center of the bar where the rail is in two parts and where the joint bar has to withstand the shearing strains also. To relieve that condition to a material extent it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a construction wherein the joint bar is tightly fitted to a bearing at the center and ends of the joints leaving the intermediate portions of the bar free of contact with the rail, thus contributing materially to the flexibility of the bar between the center of the joint and the ends ofthe rails and, consequently, leaving the center portion of the joint bar practically free from bending strains and required only to withstand the shearing strains.

Furthermore, in the improved construction according to the present invention, the bending strains are not only removed from the center of the joint to a very material extent, but the bar distributes the bending strains more or less throughout the length 1922. Serial N0. 565,549.

of the bar, thus increasing its stability, at thesame time not interfering at all with the splicing function thereof to securely and properly fasten together the two rails.

A further practical and useful object of the invention is to provide a construction, whereby the joint will give a proper and full support to-the rail ends. It. is wellknown that in the usual type of joint bar, which contacts with the rail throughout the fishing, there might be a lack of support at the rail ends because of the variation in the rolled joint bar and in the rails themselves. Such a condition causes wear to start quickly, and, should the joint bar entirely fill the fishing space of the rails snug- 1y a short distance either side of the center, that would have the effect of preventing the center of the bar from being adequately drawn into the rails to give proper support. As distinguished from such conditions which are considered defects in the ordinary rail joint, the present invention provides a con-' struction wherein the joint bar at both sides of the center of the joint is out of contact with both the head and base flange of the rail. This form of construction allows the center part of the bar to be tightly and snugly drawn in by the bolts thereby giving full and proper support to the rail ends.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of rail joint wherein relatively hard metal-bearing plates are utilized as the bearing surfaces of the rail joint, the said bearing surfaces being spaced apart and thus relieving the joint of'the excessive binding fit between the joint bar and the rails, which in the ordinary construction frequently interferes with the free movement of the rails under temperature conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of construction wherein the same rolled section constituting the joint bar proper is available for rails havlng fishing spaces of different dimensions.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear to those familiar with the art, as the details of the invention are better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

v The essential and fundamental features ter bearing of the' invention are necessarily susceptible of embodiment in different forms of con? struction, but certain preferred and. practical forms are shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fi ple orm of rail olnt embodying the improved features contemplated by the present invention. j

Figure 2 is a detail perspective of one of the'bearing shim units shown at the ends of the joint in Figure'l. I

Figure 3 is a; detail perspective of a censhim unit which may be employed in igure 1.

Figure 4: is a perspective view of' a joint showing a modification wherein the bearing shim units have their upper and lower bearing flanges respectively of different widths to provide varying areas of different extent.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective of one of the modified forms of bearing shim units included in the joint of Figure 1.-

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a joint showing a further modification of the'invention wherein is employed a bearing shim unit co-extensive with the length of the joint and having bearing flanges at intervals thereon.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the continuous type of bearing shim unit shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail view similar to Figure 6 showing a rail of a different fishing height to illustrate the feature of using thesame joint bar-with rails of different fishing,

height by varying the thickness of the bearin plate or shim.

1ke references designate corresponding.

parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings. v

The distinctive feature of the present invention, as pointed out, is the provision of bearings for the joint bar so disposed and arranged as to permit the bar to be snugly .drawn in to: a tight fit at the center of the joint and at the ends of the joint, leaving the intermediate portion of the bar out of contact and therefore entirely free from the head, web and base of the rail, thus relieving the center of the joint from bending strains and distributing the latter more or less uniformly throughout the length of the bar. At the same time these bearings for the bar, preferably being of harder metal than the bar and the rail, admit of more ready movement of the rails in the joint when influenced to expand or contract under temperature conditions.

in carrying out these particular objects and features of the invention, primarily there is employed a joint bar designated by the numeral 1 which may be of any desired type though preferably a rolled bar of re 1 is a perspective View of the sim-' uniform section throughout and with less fishing height than the fishing dimensions of the rail R. That is to say, the oint bar 1 is of less height vertically than the fishing distance between the underside of the rail head and the upper side of the rail flange, and to provide for fitting the bar to the rails a plurality of bearing shim units, designated in Figure 1 A, B and C respectively, are combined with the oint bar.

In the embodiment shown in that figure of the drawings, the shim unit A is arranged at the center of the joint and is interposed between the central part. of the joint bar and the two rail ends within the joint, while the shim units B and C are respectively located at opposite ends of the joints, being interposed between the ends of the joint bar and the rails. The result of this s aced arrangement of the shim units A, B and C is to leave the intermediate parts I of the joint :bar free, that is the parts of the bar between the central shim unit A and the end shim units B and C are entirely out of contact with the head, web and flange of the rails.

Therefore, the said intermediate noncontacting portions I of the splice bar are free to flex between the bearing shim units A, B and C, thereb better adapting the bar to the passing 0 the rail wave motion through the joint; consequently, relieving the joint from concentrated bending strains at the center and requiring the central part of the joint practically to withstand only the shearing strains.

The bearing shim units may be in different forms of construction and may be made of different kinds of metal. It is preferable, however, that the shim units be made of harder steel than the joint bar and the rail so that the freezing together of tightly contacted metal surfaces, such as frequently occurs in the ordinary rail joint, is obviated and the rails will have greater freedom to contract and expand under temperature conditions. Also it is desirable, as well as preferable, in carrying forward the invention to have the shim units in vertical alinement with the joint or clamping bolts so that they may be snugly held in place by the tightening of the bolts and so that firm and rigid bearing supports may be provided for the rails at the spaced points, usually at the center of the jointand at the ends as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The desirable general form of the shim units is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, wherein there is shown a unit consis ing of a web or body member 2 provided with the upper and lower outstanding bearing flanges 3 and a respectively fitting between the upper surfaces of the joint bar and the underside of head, tween the lower surface of the joint l". A

the upper side of the rail flange. This form of construction is in effect a channel receiving therein the joint bar, and the clampin bolt, passing through the joint bar and a bolt hole 4? in the shim unit, provides for snugly holding the bar within the shim unit and in shim unit may be provided at its edges with bolt-engaging notches 5, such as shown in the shim plate unit A of Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

To illustrate the range of modification that may be resorted to in the construction of the shim units, there is shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings'a shim unit wherein the upper bearing flange 3 thereof is "nar rower and of less bearing surface area than the lower and wider bearing flange 4. This form of construction is desirable for the purpose of giving more bearing surface over the rail flange, so that the loads are disbearings between the joint bar and the rail' tributed over a greater area of the rail flange. This is advantageous because of the rail flange being thinner than the rail head.

Another embodiment of the invention, including other features, is shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings. These figures are illustrative of the application of the bearing shim unit feature to a longer rail joint, such as a six-bolt joint, wherein more than three might be desirable; and also wherein these bearings might be graduated in area, that is of greater extent or area at or adjacent the meeting ends of the rail and diminishing in eiitent or area toward the ends of the joint. Also, as shown by this form of the invention the various bearings of whatever extent or arrangement may be carried by a single full length bearing shim unit, designated by the letter E. This bearing shim unit may congst of a web or body plate 6 which extends the full'length of the joint and is formed at its top and bottom edges respectively with upper and lower bearing flanges 7 and 8 respectively. which are paired the fishing space of the rail shown in Figure.

6, and at the same time admitting of the use of the same rolled section of-joint bar. In such a case it is only necessary to vary the thickness of-the bearing flanges or bearing members of the shi units, the difference in the fishing height of the two rails being compensated for by the difference in thickfiess of the bearing flanges or bearing memers.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown and described, the bearing shim units are shown of a form and construction which admits of the same being securely fastened in place in bearing contact with the rail without possibility of displacement or creeping, due to the joint or clamping bolts being utilized as the fastenin means. But it should be understood to be within the purview of the invention to .secure these bearing members or plates in their proper locations by any suitable means such for instance as by welding to the joint bar.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and many advantages of the herein described improvements will be readily apparent without further description, and it will also be understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departin from the spirit or sacrificing any of t e advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar of less fishing height than that of the rails, and bearing shim units interposed between the bar and the rails at the central and end portions of the joint.

2. A rail joint including the rails, a jolnt bar of less fishing height than that of the rails, and hard metal bearing shim units interposed between the bar and the rails at the central and end portions of the joint.

3. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar spaced from the head and flange of the rail, and bearing shim units interposed between the bar and the rail at the central and end portions of the joint.

4. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar of less fishing hei ht than that of the rails, and a plurality o spaced bearing shim units interposed, at intervals, between the joint bar and the fishing surfaces of the rail leaving the intervening parts of the bar free to flex with the rail wave motion.

5. A rail joint including the rails, a joint.

bar of less fishing height than that of the rails and a plurality of bearing shim units interposed at intervals, between the bars and the rails, each of said units consisting of a web or body portion and upper'and lower bearing flan es.

6. A rail oint including the rails, a joint bar, the joint bolts and a plurality of spaced bearing shim units arranged at joint bolt locations and having their hearing portions interposed respectively between the bar and the head and flange of the rails.

7. A rail joint including therails, a joint bar of less fishing height than that of the rails, and hard metal bearing members interposed respectively between the bar and the head and flange of the rail, the said bearing members being arran ed at spaced apart intervals and each pair 0 such members disto distribute the bending strains on the bar on opposite sides of the center thereof.

10. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar, and a plurality of spaced bearing shims interposed between the joint bar and the rails respectively at the ends and central part of the joint, the centrally located shims brid ing the rail ends, and means for preventing longitudinal displacement of the spaced shim units.

11. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar, and a bearin shim unit interposed between the bar am? the rail, said unit having upper and lower flanges respectively having different bearing areas.

12. A rail joint including the rails, a joint bar, and a bearing shim unit interposed between the bar and the rail, said unit consisting of a web or body portion having upper and lower bearing flanges, the upper of said flanges being narrower and having less bearing area than the lower of said bearing flanges.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CLARKSON A. DISBROW.

Witnesses E. K. KERsHNER, EMORY L. Gnome. 

